Hex colour codes are a way of uniquely identifying a universally recognised shade or colour on a digital interface. Using an eyedropper/colour picker tool on most design software, you can find the hex colour code for a specific colour or shade.

Hex colour codes are also used in HTML, and are widely used in design and web.

Each unique code being 6 alphanumerical digits, often preceded with a # (making it up to 7), they equally represent the values of RGB (Red, Green, Blue), in that order.

Hexadecimal is a numeral system that represents numbers on a base of 16. Think, a more simplified binary. Fortunately we don't need to learn all of the formulas to decipher this, because if (for any reason we may need to), our software doesn't already do this, then you can usually find a free online converter for whatever it is that you may be trying to convert.

Eyedropper Tool: how to to identify colour

On most software. platforms, or applications that enable you to edit specific content, you can usually access the eyedropper tool by clicking on the active colour swatch.

This is not limited to design software, this also includes office software packages such as Microsoft Office and Google Docs.

It might not be obvious that this feature, which enables you to precisely colour match exists; for example, you may have to click on "more colours > custom" or something similar depending on what you are using.

Despite having a colour picker (eyedropper), Microsoft Paint does not have the ability to use hex codes, Microsoft Paint 3D does. 

Despite hex codes (and further background formulas) being used to keep consistency, by having the same inputs of red, green and blue per code, the hex codes may not necessarily display the same on each device, due to the device's settings. Because it is all mathematically based, it does mean that the differences will remain consistent, and overall consistency as the matching colours will still be matching, despite being displayed differently. You do not have any control over other people's device settings.

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